


Crossroads Under the Super Moon

by allthebeautifulthings9828



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Castiel, Angel/Human Relationships, Angst, Angst and Feels, Castiel Loves Dean, Castiel/Dean Winchester One Shot, Crossroads, Crossroads Deals & Demons, Dean's Soul, Demon Deals, Demon Dean, Demon Dean Winchester, Demons, Emotional, Feels, Gen, Heavy Angst, Implied Castiel/Dean Winchester, Love, M/M, One Shot, POV Castiel, Profound Bond, Romance, Sacrifice, Self-Sacrifice, Short One Shot, Soul Selling, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 11:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1939878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthebeautifulthings9828/pseuds/allthebeautifulthings9828
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Castiel loses the strength in his grace, his human soul grows again. He feels it in there. A ball of white hot emotion in the pit of his chest. Yes, there it is again--the real punishment for being a failure as an angel, he believes. The last weeks of his life are filled with the wash of love for Dean Winchester burning in his soul that can never lead to fulfilled contentment like the bond does for normal humans. He knows it, just like he knows his days are numbered. There won't be enough time to save Dean from demonkind. Only one sacrifice remains for Castiel. His last sacrifice leads him to the crossroads....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crossroads Under the Super Moon

As Castiel loses the strength in his grace, his human soul grows again. He feels it in there. A ball of white hot emotion in the pit of his chest.

Yes, there it is again--the real punishment for being a failure as an angel, he believes. The last weeks of his life are filled with the wash of love for Dean Winchester burning in his soul that can never lead to fulfilled contentment like the bond does for  _normal_ humans. He knows it, just like he knows his days are numbered.

There won't be enough time to save Dean from demonkind.

Castiel feels the fire singe the outer edges of his grace, teasing him with the end. It's on its way, though he doesn't know the minute or even the day everything will go black. Is there even an afterlife for angels? Did God even bother to provide for their end?

It doesn't matter. That's not where Castiel's going anyway.

He shucks the tan jacket from his shoulders, suddenly feeling restrained by the security blanket, and he strolls out into the road. The moon hangs low and platinum in the sky. Humans call it a super moon. It happens rarely, like the way angels and humans reach through the veil to touch each other's cores. Rare. Undeniable. Profound.

With a sigh, Castiel kneels in the road and scoops away dirt. An old cigar box dug out of a dumpster more than a year ago contains the fake FBI badge Dean gave him, his old work ID badge from the Gas 'n' Sip, and the only photograph in existence of him standing between the Winchester brothers. No other earthly objects existed that would ever let humanity know that a fallen angel called Castiel once lived among them. But he hoped it would be enough that night.

Then he waits. He rises to his full height and glances at each branch of the crossroads, seeing nothing but the night for a long time.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Castiel spins. A long, slender figure emerges from the shadows and approaches so casually that his hands hung lazily in his pockets. Red shrinks into his pupils. The identifier is enough. They know who each other are and the business at hand.

"What can I do for you, angel?" asks the crossroads demon.

"I'm not an angel anymore," Castiel replies.

The demon pretends to pity him. "I know. Such tragic business."

Castiel forages ahead without acknowledging the mind games. "I'm here to give you my soul." His voice comes out stronger than he expects.

"In exchange for?" The demon is intrigued. No amount of acting or salesmanship hides that, even if he's trained by Crowley.

"Dean Winchester gets his humanity back."

"Trading your soul for his," says the demon, absently drawing the tip of his shoe across the dirt ground. "How long do you want? A standard ten year contract?"

"It doesn't matter. Take me right now if you must." A burst of unstable human emotion nearly knocks Castiel backwards with the possibility of Dean remaining trapped as a demon forever. His mouth purses tightly as if his body involuntarily tries to contain the regret, the pain, and the deep and abiding love all at once. "Just ... please ... give Dean Winchester his life back. Restore his human soul. Take whatever demon power lives in him and throw it back to Hell."

"Can't do that, angelface. Once the demonic is formulated, it has to have a host. Dem's de rules."

Castiel recoils for a moment, defeated. He has failed again. Dying in a fireball of burnt out grace will forever be meaningless if he can't use his last days to save the only human he ever lived and died for. Only one offer remains on the table. His spine stiffens.

"Then give it to me," blurts Castiel. "I'll take the demonic within Dean into myself if it gives him his life back."

The crossroads demon throws his head back in laughter. Deep laughter from his gut. It echoes through the night like the sound of a thousand black crows taking flight at once. "Oh, angel, you really do  _love_ that fleshy blood bag, don't you?" He spits the word love on the ground like a black magic priest spitting a curse on an enemy. "I could get a hefty bonus for this one though. Converting an actual angel--"

"--Do we have a deal or not?"

He shrugs. "Sure." And then a thin smile spreads his lips. "Are you ready then, Castiel? We have to kiss on it, you know...."


End file.
